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Best Portable Grill For Camping: Coleman vs. Char-Broil vs. Cuisinart

You’re going camping and want a way to thoroughly cook meats and vegetables. While a campfire might be idyllic, it’s not exactly practical or controllable. If you want a more gourmet experience with better results, you’re going to want a portable grill for camping. The best portable grills for camping are light, easy to carry around and have a sizeable amount of heating power. Here are a few options that are sure to make your camping experience a little tastier.

This might be a portable grill, but it gives you full-size power and features. Clocking in at an amazing 20,000 BTUs, this can cook anything you throw on it in a matter of minutes. Perfect for burgers, chicken, vegetables, and steak, you’ll feel a chef out in the wild. You can easily adapt this grill for tailgating and picnics.

There are 285 square inches of cooking surface. While not as much as a full-size grill, this is fairly spacious in the portable niche. The entire unit can collapse and be easily wheeled around, and it only weighs about 45 pounds, making setup very simple. Once you adjust the legs, this sits at the perfect height for cooking, no need to find a surface to rest it on. Like most propane grills, just one touch of the starter will get the fire going.

Want to use a griddle or stove grate? While they must be purchased separately, the grill top was made to be swapped out, giving you versatility and control over your cooking surface. Each surface is cast-iron and coated in porcelain, giving you great taste while also making it easy to clean.

Looking like a thick chrome suitcase, this small grill has some serious power. Clocking in at 10,000 BTUs and including over 200 square inches of cooking space, you’ll have no problem entertaining guests, cooking meat in the wild or using this wherever you feel like grilling. As a tabletop model, you will need a stand, like a table, to bring it to the proper height. There are little legs on the bottom that help bring it closer to you. The legs can be folded in to make this unit even more portable.

Featuring a very compact design and locking lid, this unit is focused on portability and easy storage. There’s also a convenient handle so that it’s easy to carry the grill from one place to another. You should have no problem fitting this in with your other luggage and equipment. It can take either a 16-ounce propane container or with an adapter you can attach a 20-pound propane container for hours and hours of cooking power.

Like many full-size grills, this one features a warming rack on the top that lets you keep finished food nice and warm. This is perfect for buns as well, making them soft and toasty. At the bottom is a drip tray that’s very easy to unlock, remove and clean before inserting it back into the grill. This makes clean up a breeze before you put the grill back in storage.

Need something a little smaller and lighter? This grill is super tiny, making it easy to pack even if you have limited space, measuring just 24-by-12-by-15 inches and weighing only 10 pounds. Not only that, but it packs a good amount of space and power despite its small body.

You get 11,000 BTUs and 187 square inches of cooking space, enough for about eight burgers, chicken breasts or small steaks. You should have no problem cooking your favorite meals in a matter of minutes, and you can carry it anywhere. There are thin, wire legs at the bottom. While they are thinner than the other models here, they are sturdy enough to hold the grill while contributing very little to the size, making this one of the best portable grills for camping if you don’t have much space.

The chrome-plated cooking grate can be placed in the dishwasher for easy cleaning. The handles on the sides are heat-resistant, meaning that you can easily pick up and move the grill whenever you’re finished, no reason to wait for the grill to cool down. You are able to attach either 14-ounce or 16-ounce propane cans that are easy to dispose of. These should give you hours of cooking time, ensuring that you don’t run out of power too soon.

If portability is your primary concern, then this is the best portable grill for camping. Looking more like a tiny suitcase than a grill, this unit only measures 16-by-16-by-12 inches and it can fit literally anywhere. Even if you’re driving a tiny car or just carrying the bare essentials, this can easily be carried around with you. Not only that, but it weighs just 13 pounds, and the unit is quite balanced making it even easier to carry.

Sturdy legs at the bottom extend to make this grill viable as a tabletop grill. The power is a little less than the other grills, around 5,500 BTUs, but this should be more than enough for thinner cuts of meat and burgers. The cooking area is 145 square inches, giving you enough room for about eight burgers.

The grill prides itself on even cooking, and there’s also a twist knob that helps you easily ignite the flame. The fold-out legs are easy to setup, letting you lock them in place and get ready to cook within seconds. You’ll love this grill if you want to cook meat but have little space to spare.

Conclusion

Portable grilling isn’t as hard as you think. Whether you’re going camping or just traveling and want to grill with limited space, these units are perfect for your needs. While there is a bit of a balancing act between size and power, you’ll find that all of these are ideal for cooking burgers and varying cuts of meat. Just pick the right size and you’ll see that these grills will help you make gourmet meals out in the wild.